On Sunday, June 30 at 3:52am, flames consumed the Lake George Village Bandstand in Shepard Park. The bandstand – located at the heart of the village hosts numerous summer concerts. Due to the fire, the future of Lake George’s summer concerts is now uncertain.
For years, Shepard Park has been a Summer staple in Lake George. Located in the heart of the village, the park offers beach access to the lake. On top of aquatic fun, the park has attracted countless visitors with its picnicking, and playground spaces.
At the center of the park stood the Lake George Village Bandstand. The bandstand takes the form of a stone amphitheater facing a newly renovated wooden concert stage. The amphitheater provided Lake George residents with a premier outdoor concert venue with great views of the lake.
Since its 2017 renovation, the bandstand has hosted Lake George’s free summer concerts. Starting in June 2024, a host of weekly performances were slated for the Summer. The venue planned to host performances from local bands as part of its Concert Series Wednesdays, Tribute Tuesdays, and Fridays at the Lake. In addition to this, the bandstand planned to host multiple rock, jazz, and pop music festivals.
These plans were thrown into disarray on Sunday morning when the Village Bandstand went up in flames. At 3:42am the Lake George fire department received a call regarding the fire and quickly responded with aid from North Queensbury Fire. Authorities say there were no injuries in the fire, but the bandstand structure suffered severe damage. The Post Star newspaper was among the first to report on the fire, posting this video of the aftermath to their website.
Reportedly, the fire began in a locked utility room adjacent to the stage, with an electrical cause confirmed by multiple inspectors and agencies involved. “All indication says that’s where it started. Nobody could have gotten in there because a padlock was still on the charred remains of the locked door,” said Ray Perry, Mayor of the Lake George Village, to the Post Star.
The fire has led to an outpouring of support from performing artists. Glens Falls band Seize Atlantis wrote on Instagram “Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this from the music community to the entire 518 community at large.” Guitarist James Mullen spoke to NYS Music regarding a benefit concert for the lost venue, “Hopefully we can put together something special and help heal and rebuild for the LG community. We can’t just let this space go.”
A photo of the bandstand remnants from Seize Atlantis’ instagram post
Since the fire, the future of Lake George’s Summer concerts has been unclear. Mayor Ray Perry remains dedicated to keeping the venue’s concert plans on track, telling the Chronicle “ I’m just trying to save the summer.” Deputy Mayor Joseph Mastrodomenico Jr added “we will do what we can as soon as we can To somehow make our summer activities continue.”
Jim Anderson, Fridays at the Lake promoter, told NYS Music “We have an immediate plan that will let us play this Friday (July 5) and we are working on the longer term solution which will allow us to play all shows on the schedule.”
Westside Gunn keeps making wrestling cool again. The FlyGod made an appearance on All Elite Wrestling Collision at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center. The episode — taped on Wednesday but aired this past Saturday night — saw WSG come out in support of Swerve Strickland, iced out and decked in a print of the AEW world champion’s bloody face from his wrestling inspired Fourth Rope brand. The Buffalo native served as part of Strickland’s corner during his weigh-in with Will Ospreay ahead of their heavyweight title bout at AEW Forbidden Door on Monday night at UBS Arena.
Westside Gunn came out to a big pop on AEW Collision. Photo: X/@wwerealone
However, despite coming out to a big pop from the hometown crowd, it wasn’t a happy ending for FlyGod and crew as their pal Swerve Strickland was laid-out by Will Ospreay in a “scuffle” that saw Westside and friends quickly escorted from the ring stage.
AEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
Swerve Shows up like a boss. The feeling swerve gives off is wild he really is one of the best champs i ever seen.
— Forbidden Door PodCast (@ForbiddenDoor_) June 30, 2024
A longtime wrestling fan — with countless song tittles named in ode to his favorites — Westside Gunn remains a familiar presence in AEW universe making appearances at several live shows and ppv’s. The cultural curator has gone on to create his own wrestling inspired brand– Fourth Rope. Despite his success outside of the booth fans remain vigilant on new Westside Gunn music with his last project being October, 2023’s And Then You Pray For Me.
As of June 24, 2024 the MTV News website has completely vanished, taking with it over two decades of content. This comes after the closure of MTV News in 2023 by its parent company Paramount.
The result of this wipe, thousands of pieces of music journalism, including interviews, columns, and archives are now lost. With this massive blow to music journalism, let’s look back at the history of MTV News and how it shaped the field.
The history of MTV News has to begin with the beginnings of MTV as a whole. MTV began broadcasting on August 1st, 1981 at 12:01 AM. The channel execs must have known the magnitude of this launch, inaugurating the channel with footage of the Columbia Space shuttle launch and moon landing, all edited to feature the MTV logo. In many ways, the launch of MTV was as consequential as the moon landing for the music industry, changing the way audiences consumed music forever.
Prior to the launch of MTV, the music video was a fledgling medium. While superstars like the Beatles, and Bob Dylan had recorded videos to accompany songs in the 1960s, they were far from what we would consider music videos today. For instance the Beatles’ performances feature in the narrative of their 1964 hit film A Hard Day’s Night rather than acting as standalone videos. Even Bob Dylan’s iconic “Subterranean Homesick Blues” video was part of the larger Don’t Look Back documentary. Despite this lack of videos, music television was extremely popular thanks to programming like Midnight Special. These programs often featured live performances, as music videos were still not widely established as a practice.
MTV changed all of this in 1981. Following its inaugural broadcast, the station screened its first music video: the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” The song’s title seemed to foreshadow exactly what MTV would do to the music industry. Because of MTV, the music video became a common part of any album roll out, with the medium becoming its own art form.
By 1984, MTV was a staple of American television, reaching 25.4 million households across the country. With this wide spread, MTV became a tastemaker for America’s youth. New Wave artists like the Human League, and Adam Ant were kicking off the “second British invasion” thanks to frequent play on the station. By the end of the decade, MTV had made the music video the paramount form of promotion, propelling superstars like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Cyndi Lauper even further into stardom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Lq9sqqbYY
Off of this massive broadcasting success, MTV launched MTV news in 1987. MTV News began with the twice weekly program The Week In Rock. In 30 minute segments, the program featured news about award shows and tours, and interviews with the biggest stars in music. This programming added a journalistic edge to MTV’s programming, featuring high quality reporting that was still entertaining to the station’s young audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPj88KXBCOc
At the helm of MTV News was Kurt Loder. By the time of The Week in Rock’s launch, Loder was already an established figure in music journalism. Starting in 1976, Loder was writing for New York-based music magazines, beginning with Long Island’s Good Times. By 1978, Loder had moved to Manhattan to write for Circus, focusing on heavy metal, punk, and other emerging genres. He admits that the writing of Circus was not always the most admirable “it was a foregone conclusion that writing of any technical ambition about new acts of any real excitement or interest would make it in the mag only by the sheerest accident.”
In 1979, Loder began a 9-year career as one of the most prolific writers at Rolling Stone Magazine. Perhaps the pinnacle of his career prior to MTV was co-authoring Tina Turner’s 1986 autobiography I, Tina. The book quickly became a best-seller, launching the film adaptation What’s Love Got to Do with It, launching Loder further into the public eye. It was following this that MTV approached Loder to head their newly-established news desk.
“Linda Corradina called me and asked, ‘Have you thought about being in TV?’ I hadn’t — ever. So I went over and did a camera test, which was pretty awful, I think. And suddenly, I was there”
– Kurt Loder
Introduced by the guitar intro of Megadeth’s “Peace Sells,” Loder brought features on some of the biggest musical groups of the era. Early stories featured Depeche Mode, Public Enemy, and Anthrax. Loder’s presence brought a seriousness and professionalism to the station, while providing quality interviews and commentary. Up to that point, many viewed MTV as a raunchier, rather unserious network for America’s youth. However, Loder and MTV News proved that its programming could be just as diligent and well-produced as established news stations. While being professional, the programing managed to retain MTV’s trademark sense of rebelliousness.
Soon after its founding, MTV News began to incorporate politics and society into its repertoire in addition to music. This came to a head in 1992, preceding that year’s presidential election. In the leadup to the election, MTV News launched a $1 million “Choose or Lose” campaign to encourage young people to vote. Accompanying this was frequent political coverage, making up about 25% of its programming. In June 1992, MTV News aired “Choose or Lose: Facing the Future with Bill Clinton,” a 90 minute program featuring the candidate answering young people’s questions. By election day, the number of 18-20 year olds voting was up by 20% aiding in Bill Clinton’s electoral victory.
Despite this incorporation of politics, MTV News still remained one of the premier sources for music journalism. Perhaps one of the defining moments of MTV News’ 90s output came in the follow up of Kurt Cobain’s death. On April 5, 1994, Kurt Loder interrupted MTV’s regular programming to announce the news of Cobain’s death. This broadcast was the first time many people had heard the news, launching a wave of nationwide mourning for the biggest rock star of the era. In addition to the announcement, Loder’s coverage provided a thoughtful tribute to Cobain’s career, influence, and talent.
Following a decade of success of TV reporting, MTV News launched its website in 1996. Over the course of the next 20 years, the site became a haven for online music journalism. It hosted thousands of articles and artist interviews. Of note was the site’s hip-hop archives, such as the “Monday Mixtape” column, which featured many early interviews with future stars.
After three decades of operation, MTV News ran into serious financial woes. This began in 2017, with the site’s shift towards video content, laying off most of its editorial staff. These problems came to a head in May 2023, as Paramount announced it would shut down MTV News. With this announcement, its television and internet content was abruptly brought to a halt.
Despite this, the MTV News site remained open for over a year. However, on June 24, 2024, MTV removed the site and all of its content from the internet. Among the first to notice was former MTV News journalist Patrick Hosken. Writing on X, Hosken said “So, mtvnews.com no longer exists. Eight years of my life are gone without a trace.” If users try to access the website, they will now be redirected to the mtv.com home page. MTV has not given a reason for the website’s removal, however some such as music journalist Alex Young have speculated it could be due to hosting and legal costs.
Music lovers have taken to X to express their disappointment in the site’s deletion. Rolling Stone Senior Writer Brian Hiatt called it “disgraceful,” with Entertainment Weekly News Director Jillian Sederholm adding it was “devastatingly cruel to journalists.”
With the loss of MTV News, let’s remember the programming that helped bring music journalism to America’s youth. With Kurt Loder and countless music journalists, their television and online programming helped provide America’s youth with updates on everything from the Pet Shop Boys to the Presidency, all while establishing MTV as a news source to be reckoned with.
Those interested in exploring the history of MTV News can explore archival versions on the Wayback Machine.
Lake George’s summer concert series “Fridays at the Lake” returns this year with an exciting lineup. From July 5 to August 30, Shepard Park Amphitheater will host a concert every Friday. Concerts are free, and will feature a beer and wine garden.
Amanda Metzger
On July 5, The Ultimates will open for the New York Players, who will be returning to Fridays at the Lake this year. The New York Players are known for being dance party experts, with over 1,000 events under their belt. On July 12, Yellow Dog will open for Soul Session.
Dirt Cheap will open for E.B Jeb with classic blues and rock on July 19. E.B Jeb has been bringing authentic Southern Rock to upstate New York since 1980.
July 26, Saratoga-based pop group The Schmooze will open for Vivid. The Hartford based band is known for playing upbeat and danceable pop rock covers.
Albany band Sirsy will bring pop rock with folk intimacy to Fridays at the Lake on August 9. They will open for the TS Ensemble, a high energy, eight piece band from
Sirsy by Chet Seidel
The US Navy band will open for The Accents on August 23; The Accents will be returning for another performance this year; Lake George regulars, the Accents have performed at Fridays at the Lake and thousands of other events.
On August 30, Troy rock trio Super 400 will open for Ten Most Wanted. The Ten Most Wanted is a ten piece band known for their powerful vocals and sizzling horn section.
All events are family & dog friendly, and bouncy houses will be available. Openers will take the stage at 6:00, and headliners will start performing at 7:30. A recap of last years’ Fridays at the Lake is available at the following link, and a video of a performance from a previous year is available below.
Celebrating the event’s 20th anniversary, Colonie, NY, unveiled the lineup for this year’s Tuesday Nights in the Park Concert Series. The free-to-the-public series will run every Tuesday night between now and August 27, with shows starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Cook Park Frank A. Leak Amphitheater.
Colonie, is a town of about 80,000 people nestled at the north end of Albany County. Besides having many beautiful parks, including the Crossings, a 130-acre passive park with miles of biking and walking trails, and numerous historical sights, Colonie is home to the annual Tuesday Nights in the Park Concert Series at the Cook Park Frank A. Leak Amphitheater.
The free concert series captures the attention of locals every year, with performances often bringing in crowds that fill out the on-looking field with an array of multicolored lawn chairs and blankets. This year’s series is particularly special, with it being the 20th anniversary of the first Tuesday Nights in the Park show in 2004.
The 2024 series boasts a lineup of performers that play a wide variety of musical genres, ranging from New Orleans cajun blues to Celtic to soul. From originals in unique genres to classic covers, there’s bound to be something for everyone in this year’s setlist.
Funded entirely through sponsors, benefactors and individual patrons, Tuesday Nights in the Park is a true Colonie community event. In the words of Colonie Village Hall, “During the summer, Tuesday nights in Cook Park are alive with music, laughter, dancing, and community camaraderie.”
Food and refreshments will be sold on-site by Mike’s Hot Dogs, and bathrooms are available in the nearby Cook Pavilion. In the event of rain, shows will be held on the following Wednesday in the same location, weather permitting. For any questions regarding the series, the Colonie Family Recreation Center can be contacted at (518) 218-7782.
The official poster and full written lineup are below.
Tuesday Nights in the Park Full Schedule with Musical Genres
June 25 – Electric City Horns (Rock/Pop/Swing)
July 2 – Lucid Street (Pop, Rock and Beyond)
July 9 – TS Ensemble (Sinatra to Today)
July 16 – Skeeter Creek (Country)
July 23 – Triskele (Celtic)
July 30 – The Accents (Greatest Hits)
August 6 – Capt. Squeeze & the Zydeco Moshers (New Orleans Cajun Blues)
August 13 – Soul Session feat. Garland Nelson (Multi-Genre Soul Session)
Ray Brothers BBQ will host bob., a tribute to Bob Dylan on August 11. The show will take audiences on a journey through Dylan’s timeless melodies and poignant lyrics.
Musicians from multiple bands will come together to pay tribute to Bob Dylan’s unparalleled artistry. Doors open at 3:00, and the show will run from 4:00 to 7:00.
The performance will feature Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico of the band moe. along with special guests. Known for their captivating stage presence and rhythmic wizardry, moe. has become a pioneering force in the jam band scene. moe. will be joined by Charley Orlando singer and multi-instrumentalist, Brian Lauri on keyboard, and Zach Fleitz on bass. From classic hits like “Highway 61 Revisited” to ballads like “Girl From the North Country,” bob. is sure to deliver a thrilling performance of all your favorites.
Located on Route 20 in Bouckville, Ray Brothers BBQ has received critical acclaim. Additionally, Food Network voted Ray Brothers BBQ the best ribs in the state. Owned by brothers Tucker and Colin Ray, Ray Bros has been serving authentic, slow cooked barbecue since 2014.
Ray Brothers’ outdoor venue offers a great opportunity to enjoy summer weather, great food, and even better music. Ray Bros sell out daily, so don’t miss an opportunity to enjoy critically acclaimed food and music.
More information about the tribute show is available at the following link. Ray Brothers BBQ’s episode of America’s Best Restaurants is available below.
The Green Island Gazebo (GIG), in Green Island, NY, located 10 minutes north of Albany, has announced the performance lineup of their annual summer concert series.
All GIG shows will be free to the public and take place every Wednesday between July 10 and August 28 at the scenic Lower Hudson Ave Park.
With a population of roughly 3,000 packed into just a square mile, Green Island is a tight-knit community. 2024 marks the 21st year of GIG’s annual summer concert series, now a staple in the town. The shows have always been held in the quaint Lower Hudson Ave Park waterside gazebo, which is the perfect spot to bring some lawn chairs and relax.
This year’s artists all performed at last year’s GIG summer series, except for Emmy Award-winner and former WNYT News Channel 13 news anchor, Jerry Gretzinger, who will perform a Frank Sinatra tribute show called “Sinatra: The Man. The Myth. The Music.” on July 24.
On top of their annual summer concert series, GIG also hosts the Festival of Trees, which is an annual Christmas tree decoration event, followed by a visit from Santa, who greets the children and sings Christmas carols for them.
All shows will run between 6 and 8 p.m. In the event of rain, concerts will be held under the Collar City Bridge on Hudson Avenue. Visit the GIG Facebook page here.
GIG Concert Lineup and Schedule
July 10 – The Accents
July 17 – Get Up Jack
July 24 – “Sinatra: The Man. The Myth. The Music.” featuring Jerry Gretzinger
I Don’t Want To Go Home, The Oral History of the Stone Pony, was released in early June. New Jersey native Nick Corasaniti explores the history of the venue and the surrounding community. Complete with a foreword from Bruce Springsteen, Oral History of the Stone Pony documents the community’s resilience in the face of ruin.
In 1974, Asbury Park’s future was uncertain. Recovering from a riot and facing ruin, the Stone Pony offered the gleam of hope the town needed. Bouncers Jack Roig and Butch Pielka, underprepared and minimally funded, were determined to own their own venue. Soon, Bruce Springsteen called the Stone Pony Home. Despite success in attracting notable artists like Stevie Van Zandt, “Southside” Johnny Lyon, and Springsteen, the Stone Pony struggled to get by.
The history of the Stone Pony is emblematic of American life: dogged resistance and big reams, all in the face of decline and neglect. Corasaniti’s insight as a lifelong New Jersian is boosted by his experience as the New York Times’ Jersey correspondent. Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, Southside Johnny, members of the E Street Band and Asbury Jukes, the Ramones, the Jonas Brothers, Pearl Jam, the Kinks, Tom Morello, Kenny Chesney, Jack Antonoff, The Gaslight Anthem, the Bouncing Souls, the Lumineers, Russell Crowe and other legendary musicians have featured interviews. Non-musicians associated with the history of the Stone Pony, including bouncers, bartenders, local bon vivants and politicos, including Govs. Chris Christie and Phil Murphy, are also featured.
The book has already received critical praise: Kirkus Reviews described it as a work with, “charming bits of Springsteen-iana… [with the] theme of a community stubbornly determined to survive amid adversity.” Booklist says the book promises a, “stirring tale of rock ‘n’ roll survival.”
Umphrey’s McGee at The Stone Pony, 2018 – photo by Capacity Images, Chris Capaci
It is difficult to overstate The Stone Pony’s role in rock ‘n’ roll history. During the 70s, Ocean Grove resident Johnny Lyon and Middletown’s Steve Van Zandt named their band for the Pony. With soulful, classic, and horn driven R&B music, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes played the Stone Pony three nights a week. Van Zandt would leave the group to play with Bruce Springsteen and the new version of the E Street Band. Salty Dog, Stir Crazy, Winfield, Holme, Salvation, Mad Dog and the Shakes (featuring local legend and former E Street drummer Vini Lopez), The Shots, Cold Blast & Steel, Cahoots and Acme Boogie Company all played the Stone Pony during the 70s.
The 80s brought a new wave of rock and dance music to the Pony. Legendary performances included stars on the way up such as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Elvis Costello, The Ramones, Cheap Trick, Skid Row, Blondie, The Stray Cats and Winger. Other artists who took to the Pony stage included Meatloaf, Todd Rundgren, Jimmy Cliff, Joan Jett, Blue Oyster Cult, Gregg Allman, Dickie Betts, Ace Frehley of Kiss, Levon Helm, Robert Gordon, Johnny Winter, Vanilla Fudge, David Johansen (a.k.a. Buster Poindexter), Mink DeVille, Dion, Ronnie Spector and Mountain. Van Morrison used the club for the shooting of a music video because of its “cool atmosphere.”
The Stone Pony hit a slump in the late 80s and early 90s. With insurance prices and other expenses rising, the Stone Pony came close to ruin. Steven Nasar bought the venue in bankruptcy court, and planned to make it into a dance club. In 2000, Jersey City restaurant owner Domenic Santana promised the Pony would be open by Memorial Day in a press conference.
Credit: Michael Dinger; The Pretenders playing at the Stone Pony
Santana renovated the Stone Pony, adding a permanent exhibition of art and artifacts from the history of the city and the venue itself. With a new state of the art lighting and sound equipment, redesign of the outside Stone Pony Landing area, tenting and a small food facility, the venue was ready to retake its rightful place in popular culture.
Artists did not abandon the Stone Pony: The Pretenders, The Strokes, Interpol, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Patti Smith, Jason Mraz, Third Eye Blind, Sean Ono Lennon, Clarence Clemons, The Wailers, The Backseat Lovers, Indigo Girls, and Ziggy Marley among many others have continued to play at the Stone Pony. New Jersey native musicians continue to play the Stone Pony, and pay tribute to their roots, including Grateful Dead Tribute Band JRAD. The community’s resilience in the face of difficulty is remarkable, and a testament to the strength of music.
In celebration of their 50th anniversary, The Stone Pony is hosting a summer series, more information is available here.
The book is available for purchase here, and a CNN report on a the Stone Pony’s history is below.
Coming this summer to libraries in the Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler, and Tioga counties is the “Stories With Music” concert series. The series is sponsored by the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes (OSFL), which brings classical music to venues all across the Southern Tier of New York.
Stories With Music is geared specifically towards young children and encourages all to learn and appreciate the arts. All events and performances are free and an enjoyable experience for all ages.
Since 1995, the OSFL has captivated audiences with its captivating performances and community engagement. Composed of talent from all over the Southern Tier, the OSFL was created with the merger of two orchestras: the Corning Philharmonic Society and the Elmira Symphony and Choral Society. For almost 30 years, the OSFL has devoted itself to working with young people, creating and maintaining family-friendly programs in schools, libraries, youth competitions, and their Youth Orchestra.
Formed in 2018, Stories With Music truly started from the bottom. The original series was performed at only one library. In the beginning, OSFL presented one group of chamber musicians, who only performed one concert. Over the last six years, the concert series gained innumerable popularity and a steady following. This year, the lineup consists of over 3 different chamber groups, 30 performances, and 15 libraries in four different counties. Residents of the Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler, and Tioga counties can now enjoy the family-friendly experience that is Stories With Music.
During the series, Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes musicians present classic children’s stories to music, providing the audience with an immersive and captivating experience. Each performance has a live read-aloud of iconic storybooks, including Little Red Riding Hood, The Adventures of Pinocchio, and more.
Listed below are the groups and stories performed live at Stories With Music. See if Stories With Music is heading to your local library by visiting this link. For live updates, visit the OSFL’s Facebook page.
The Adventures of Pinocchio, narrated and performed by the Brass Quintet
– Larry Burroughs, trumpet
– Lindsey Burroughs, trumpet
– Claire Tuxill McKenney, horn
– Duane Smith, trombone
– Adam Peck/Keith Alcius, tuba
Scottish Fairy Tales, Myths, and Legendsnarrated and performed by the String Duo
– Rosanna Moore, harp
– Shade Zajac, cello
Three Billy Goats Gruffand Little Red Riding Hood, narrated and performed by Storied Winds
– Lesley McClelland, oboe
– David Resig, bassoon
– Claire Tuxill McKenney, horn
Below are the dates that have already been announced. Make sure to check this link, as new shows are added daily.
Wind Trio 7/3 at 2:00 PM Horseheads 7/5 at 10:30 AM Dormann (Bath) 7/31 at 1:00 PM Waverly 8/15 at 3 PM Big Flats
Brass 7/26 at 10:30 AM Dormann (Bath) 7/30 at 1 PM Waverly City Hall 8/1 at 1 PM SE Steuben County (Corning)
String Duo 7/25 at 3 PM Big Flats 7/25 at 6 PM Steele Memorial (Elmira) 7/26 at 11 AM Fred & Harriett Taylor Memorial (Hammondsport) 8/2 at 10:30 AM Dormann (Bath)
The Broadway Collection released their first ever documentary short film on June 6. Aimed at the travel industry, the short film emphasizes Broadway’s importance to New York culture, proving no trip to NYC is complete without a trip to the theater.
Produced by The Broadway Collection and directed by two time Emmy-nominated Jonathan Theodore Baker, the short film is the first of an ongoing video series. Known for the MSNBC films’ documentary “Serving in Secret”, Baker’s prolific career includes award winners and work on box office hits.
The film features Gavin Creel, a Tony and Olivier Award-Winning Bradway star. Following Creel, the film chronicles his journey to Broadway from childhood. Creel and Baker have been lifetime friends, from performing in their hometown of Findlay, Ohio, to the professional stage.
The documentary features actress/singer Sara Bareilles (Waitress), Tony-nominated actress Eva Noblezada (Hadestown, The Great Gatsby), director Sammi Cannold (How to Dance in Ohio), and actress/singer Jacqueline Arnold (Moulin Rouge!). Filmed at pre- and post-show hotspot Bond 45, Creel and the special guests discuss the state of Broadway in 2024.
The aid from hotels and restaurants is testament to the deep ties Broadway has to the community. The theater’s importance to New York’s culture and tourism is difficult to overstate. The Broadway Collection is dedicated to helping New York City visitors experience the theater, including Broadway and off-Broadway productions, the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York City Ballet. The Collection has tickets to suit various tastes and budgets, and has deep connections to the professional travel industry.
